Celtic will enter into the international break satisfied as they didn’t drop any points in the Premiership in the latest round of fixtures. They made it to the League Cup final as well without any fuss. However, the most eye-catching performance was the one against Lazio in Rome in the Europa League where the Hoops registered a 2-1 win which took them to the knockout stages with two games to spare in the group.
Every player put in a good shift that day and Hatem Abd Elhamed was one of those who had a decent game at the back. Lennon had deployed him on the right side of the back three. The Israel international started slow but had a strong game overall. However, he had to face a setback as the 28-year-old had to go off in the last quarter of the game with a groin injury.
Elhamed gives injury update
The injury doesn’t look too good at the moment as the versatile defender gave a little update on Instagram. One of his posts said (via Daily Record), ”Bad news this morning but I will be back stronger. Thank god, always.”
It seems like he could be out for a lengthy period. Lennon would have liked him to recover within a fortnight during the international break probably, but Elhamed has signalled that he could be away from football for some time now.
Elhamed’s impressive start for Celtic
Lennon has used Elhamed in the significant and crucial games so far, and the summer signing has settled in seamlessly. There were question marks whether he would be able to cope with the intensity and physicality of the Premiership. However, he has done well more often than not, whenever he has been on the pitch. The defender though has struggled with injuries and Lennon will be slightly worried about the busy period of the season set to arrive soon.
Elhamed played a crucial role in the derby win as well against Rangers as he was pretty much faultless at the back. However, now he could be facing a race against time to be fit in time for the encounter in the League Cup final on December 8th. The Israel international has shown his versatility by playing in the centre back and right-back role.
Alternatives for Lennon
Young Jeremie Frimpong will likely get an extended run into the first team. Moritz Bauer will also look to impress if he gets some chances. Losing Elhamed is a blow for Lennon, but Celtic have shown that they have solutions to cope with the injury crisis.
